Deliver Your Message: See the Results

Stories can Change behavior…You Can Change Lives.

In one form or another what do each of us seek in our daily business lives?

Answer: Motivate others to reach Goals, buy our product, heed our advice, take a new direction, create energy. Each of them is best accomplished by uniting an idea with an emotion. Telling a story is that connector.

Persuasion is the business activity that is central to every level of success. Customers so they buy your product. Employees so they support your changes. Investors for clarity on why they should invest with you. Partners to agree to the next deal and sign up with you. Most executives struggle to communicate their intent, much less inspire someone to go along with them. They rely on bullet points crammed with facts and logic, PowerPoints (they read each word!), memos, corporate-speak and the continuum of other ineffective efforts. The audience is confused, at best, over the message.

Become an effective leader by harnessing stories to make your point. Toss the death-by-PowerPoint and “that’s-the-way-we-do-it” approach to persuasion. Move people through their emotions. That’s how they are motivated/persuaded to achieve goals, take actions. The story has a long history of being a successful communication tool.

Storytelling helps you win an important audience. It is a powerful tool. Through storytelling we make abstract concepts real. By creating that vision we drive culture and instill values. Paint a vivid picture of the future. That’s what makes you memorable. Your life and career are a rich source of stories. Use them to drive your company’s purpose, goals, vision, and values. And your Success!

Learn to resonate with your audience, surprise them, connect with them, tap into emotions. Either make them mad or make them sad or make them happy, but don’t just leave them sitting there!

We need only look around us, listen and read to find stories we can adapt to our message. Read your resume, the stories are there. Write the story and make it connect to an emotion. The story should be no longer than 2 minutes.

Practice bringing your message to life with a story and watch your results soar.